Other Times: June 19

Members of the Third Presbyterian Church asked the Chester Presbytery to appoint a commission for an investigation into the church’s affairs and the causes that have led up to “what appears to be well-nigh a disruption.” The Presbytery approved the vague petition to appoint the commission, which was charged with investigating the “lamentable problems” that threatened a rupture in the membership.

75 YEARS AGO -- 1939:

The Chester Times editorial page advised Americans not to become too excited about “the quarrels of Europeans,” who had been “warring for a dozen centuries over there and will be warring for a dozen more” unless they develop the kind of statesmanship to construct a United States of Europe, “which is seemingly impossible.”

50 YEARS AGO -- 1964:

Lt. Gov. Raymond P. Shafer persuaded Chester civil rights leaders not to picket a demonstration in front of the capitol in an attempt to spike Gov. William W. Scranton’s bid for the Republican presidential nomination. Shafer promised action on investigations by state police and the FBI into allegations of police brutality during civil rights demonstrations in April.

“One the other hand, if the investigations show the charges are spurious and false, they will not be tolerated and will be exposed,” said Shafer. Stanley Branche, leader of Chester’s Committee for Freedom Now, said he would “definitely” picket Scranton in Boston unless the governor agreed to a sit-down.

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25 YEARS AGO -- 1989:

Chester Councilman Steve McKellar claims he was offered a bribe for helping a $335 million Resource Recovery Project move forward in the city. McKellar, who staunchly opposed the project, said he was approached by an official close to the project and told he would be “taken care of” if he changed his vote.

“I took this as a bribe,” and reported it to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, said Kellar.

10 YEARS AGO -- 2004:

The House of Representatives voted 211-191 against requiring inspections of all cargo shipped on passenger airline flights because the technology was not available and losing the freight would drive carriers into bankruptcy.

Only a small percentage of cargo aboard passenger flights is inspected, and uninspected cargo is supposed to come only from shippers known to the government.

The Transportation Security Administration estimated that it would take $700 million and the hiring of 9,000 additional inspectors to examine cargo thoroughly on passenger flights at the nation’s largest airports.